This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-012405, filed Jan. 22, 2002, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure of a vehicle near a rear side member to which a side edge portion of a rear floor panel is coupled.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional vehicle, as is illustrated in FIGS. 7 to 9, a rear side member 1 that extends substantially in the longitudinal direction of the body of the vehicle has its flange a coupled to the lower surface of a side edge portion of a rear floor panel 2. In order to enhance the strength of the vehicle body, the stiffness of the rear side member 1 must be increased. To attain this, a flange b and an end edge c of the rear side member 1 and an end edge d and a flange e of the rear floor panel 2 that covers the upper surface of the rear side member 1 are spot-welded individually to a side sill 3 and a rear wheel house 4. Thus, the rear side member 1 forms a closed cross section 5 in cooperation with the rear floor panel 2 and the like.
In order to restrain the weight of the vehicle from increasing, a thin sheet is used for the rear floor panel 2 that forms a relatively wide floor of the vehicle. Thus, the stiffness of the closed cross section 5 can be improved only limitedly. In order to increase the stiffness of parts near the rear side member 1, reinforcing members, such as bulkheads, may possibly be added to the rear side member 1. If the added reinforcing members are increased in number, however, the weight of the vehicle body increases correspondingly.
In order to widen the interior space of the vehicle to the maximum, the rear floor panel 2 is stepped in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle so that the front side of the vehicle is lowered, and the central portion of the rear floor panel 2 is made lower than its opposite side edge portions. Thus, drawing the rear floor panel 2 is relatively hard.
Further, the rear side member 1 of which the upper surface is covered by a side edge portion of the rear floor panel 2 must be also stepped in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. However, forming the rear side member 1 with a large hat-shaped cross section is subject to drawing limits, so that it is hard to increase the height of the vertical wall of the rear side member 1. Thus, increasing the strength of the rear side member 1 or deeply depressing the central portion of the rear floor panel 2 is restricted, so that the interior space of the vehicle cannot be increased smoothly.
The object of the present invention is to facilitate the enhancement of the strength of parts of a vehicle near a rear side member to which a side edge portion of a rear floor panel is coupled.
A body structure according to the present invention comprises a side sill which extends substantially in the longitudinal direction of a vehicle beside the vehicle and forms a first closed cross section, a side member at least a part of which extends substantially in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle on the vehicle-interior side of the side sill, which forms a second closed cross section in cooperation with the side sill, and which is formed having a flange extending substantially in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle at the interior-side end portion of the vehicle, and a floor panel having a side edge portion coupled to the flange.
More specifically, the side member forms the second closed cross section in cooperation with the side sill, the flange that extends substantially in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is formed on the vehicle-interior-side end portion of the side member, and the side edge portion of the floor panel is coupled to the flange. Thus, the stiffness of the second closed cross section part of the side member can be easily increased without regard to the floor panel. In consequence, the strength of parts near the rear side member can be made much higher than in the conventional case.
According to the body structure of the present invention, the stiffness of the second closed cross section part of the side member can be easily increased without regard to the floor panel, so that the strength of the parts near the rear side member can be made much higher than in the conventional case. Thus, the strength of the body of the vehicle can be enhanced with ease, so that the safety of the vehicle can be ensured.